All I Want For Christmas (Is A Slice Of Strawberry Cake)
by Cain the Silver Sin
Summary: The holidays are best spent with someone (and a slice of strawberry cake).


"And here you go! One whole strawberry cake plus two individual slices neatly wrapped and ready to go!" the perky clerk chirps and smiles at Hanzo. She is really in the holiday spirits and her sweater is actually very festive. Hanzo can't do much but smile back at her.

"Thank you." he replies with a curt nod and hands the boxed cake to a boy with shaggy brown hair and a little too big knitted cap standing beside him.

"And what do you say then, Timmy?"

"I say that a bakery was giving away this cake for free because it's Christmas, not that you paid for it!" Timmy pipes up, giving the archer a toothy smile.

"Good. Your mother is a hardworking and proud woman. I don't want her to feel she owes me anything for it. Now, run along. You'll be late for dinner."

"Aaw but Mr. Hanzoo! Since you're back here why don't you come to dinner with us? No one should be alone on Christmas Eve…"

"Indeed Timmy, they shouldn't. That is why I cannot join you because I have to see to a friend I know for sure will be alone tonight." he says softly, patting Timmy on the head.

"If you are together, then you won't be alone!" Timmy beams and Hanzo smiles in return.

"That's right. Now give your mother and sister my best wishes will you?"

"I will! A-arr-arigaitoo, Mr. Hanzoo! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Timmy."

Hanzo's gaze lingers after Timmy who rushes down the street to get home in time for dinner with his family. The boy is very bright and it warms his heart that he still remembered how to say _thank you_ in Japanese, albeit being very wonky on the pronunciation. He had saved the boy a while ago when he had been in the same area on a mission. A band of thugs was going to beat him up, claiming Timmy's mother owed them money. Needless to say they weren't really a match for a very frustrated and angry archer at the time. He had dumped the four men and a stack of money on their boss' doorstep with a message to never bother the family again lest they wanted to invoke the fury of dragons.  
Timmy's mother had cried and hugged them both, asking what she could to do repay him for not only paying off her debt, but also for saving her son's life. He'd told her that she already did enough by providing for her family and being there for her children. She had insisted he at least stay the night and have a warm meal and he had relented. In the wee hours of morning however, she had been there in his room, eyes downcast as she let her robes fall from her shoulders. She was shaking and her voice was a mere whisper, but he knew immediately what she was offering. He had felt sickened by the implications of it. Not by her, but by how some lowly scum had made her think she was obligated to do such a thing to pay off a debt that wasn't even there. He told her softly to put her robes back on, then he just held her as she cried and told him of all her fears and the daily struggles they were facing. He had been harshly reminded how cruel life could be sometimes and how lucky he had been with his dealt hand despite everything.  
He had left before breakfast, leaving a note for little Timmy to take extra good care of his mother.

It warmed his heart to know things were better now. Timmy had enthusiastically told him about how not long after his visit, his mother had been offered a better job which she took, and he was allowed to run a few errands for a local shop in his neighbourhood, resulting in them being able to lead a better life.  
He nods politely to the lady behind the counter before he exits the bakery and heads for a certain bar.

~

' _Remind me why I am doing this again?'_ Sombra thinks to herself, stirring her Mojito angrily with her straw. ' _Oh right, cause Gabriel insisted something was up with this- this cowboy over there! And that I should follow him and gather "intel". Ugh, hijo de puta.'_

The man, or cowboy, a few chairs down from her is a sad sight. He is slumped over the bar, seemingly too drunk to sit upright, but every once in a while he raises his head to take a sip from the whiskey he is currently nursing. Courtesy of the bartender who very surly denied him any more tequila shots.

' _There is literally nothing going on with this loser other than holiday blues. Sorry Gabe, you were wrong this time, pendejo.'_ Sombra grits her teeth in annoyance. She could be anywhere else, preferably in Dorado or something, basking in the sun, drinking Sangrías by a pool. She huffs and leans her back against the wall. Something catches her eye in the dimly lit bar. A man is walking with precise steps towards the cowboy. She allows herself a grin. Things might just become interesting after all!

~

Hanzo is able to immediately spot McCree as he enters the little corner bar. There's not really many patrons there at all but you'd have to be legally blind to miss the tacky cowboy hat and fiery red serape in any crowd. He walks over to the man and unwraps one of the cake slices, putting it down on the bar beside the cowboy.

"Jesse." he calls to him, nudging him gently with his hand. He's rewarded with a grunt as Jesse taps his hat up from his eyes to look at him.

"Hey-" he greets the gunslinger.

"-this is no way to spend the holidays, Jesse McCree."

Jesse stares blankly at him for several uncomfortable moments before a spark of recognition appears in his eyes.

"Hanzo!?" he squeaks. Hanzo doesn't know if he should feel slightly insulted. He doesn't look _that_ different. Does he? He'd just spruced up his looks a little is all. But now McCree is looking at him like he'd grown a second head. But McCree _is_ rather drunk now. Isn't he?

"Yes. It's me. Please tell me you aren't totally, what is it you Americans say, _shit-faced_?" he says as he sits down and unwraps his own cake slice. He isn't prepared for the loud guffaw that follows.

"Yes! Yes it really is you!" McCree laughs and before Hanzo can react, the larger man has him wrapped up in a hug that he mildly protests against. "And no, I'm not _that_ drunk." he adds. "It's just… You look so dang handsome."

Hanzo isn't allowed to reply as the holler of the woman who has been sitting in the corner watching them since he came here interrupts them.

"About time you came here, _handsome_! Your boyfriend there has been looking mighty lonely for the past few hours. Almost wondered if I had to drag myself over and keep him company _personally_."

Hanzo knows he has gone red, and it's only a small comfort that McCree is blushing just as fierce beside him. The _nerve_ of this woman! With her tacky purple dress, thing, and her stupid sidecut- _oh, right_.  
She has obviously noticed their flushing and she chuckles, hopping down from her bar stool.

"I'm just kidding you guys. Christmas has sucked up until now, but now I can finally go home and actually relax. Hey, bartender! Get these two losers an eggnog each!" the strange woman barks and throws some bills on the counter.

" _Feliz navidad~_ " she croons as she passes them on her way out. They are both left gaping for an awkward few moments before McCree speaks.

"Well okay, stranger things _has_ happened but, wow."

"Indeed." is Hanzo's curt reply.

"And by stranger things, I mean _you_ showing up here, bringing _me_ strawberry cake on Christmas Eve."

As the words ' _strawberry cake'_ leaves McCree's lips, Hanzo remembers. It's been so long, and even if he was ever so proud of his Japanese heritage and customs, he had actually forgotten the significance of sharing a slice of strawberry cake with someone on Christmas Eve. Timmy had pointed at the cake in the bakery, telling him how much both him, his sister and mother loved strawberries, so naturally he had bought one for him, and two extra slices because it was easy. Right?  
He looks at McCree and tries to decipher whether the other is actually aware of the significance or if he is just plainly surprised to see him. The latter seems more plausible as McCree is currently spooning the sweet treat into his mouth, humming in delight. There's a tiny hint of a flitting butterfly in Hanzo's stomach but he squashes it in mortification the moment it appears.

"You know- thanks. Thanks for coming here and thanks for this delicious cake. It actually sucked real hard sitting here alone drinking, and that weird woman was watching me the whole time. Somehow I got the feeling she was interested in something else than a good old night of fun. Maybe she was one of them crazies, chopping your head and limbs off after sex and putting them in the freezer." McCree rambles on between his spoonfuls of cake. Hanzo splutters at his bold statements. Yet, right now they didn't seem that farfetched.

"You're welcome." he manages to say as he picks up his spoon, scooping up a bite of cake for himself. It actually is very delicious.

"And I meant what I said earlier; you look good. This suits you."

Only Jesse McCree can pull off seemingly being a drunk idiot and a sober voice of honesty at the same time. Hanzo flushes at his compliment, a bit irritated he's reacting so strongly to this. He's on edge, has to be, things have been stressful, he just needs to wind down is all. He chances a look at the cowboy and he is just grinning from ear to ear. It's cute, no it's not! The bartender hands them their paid for eggnog (which Hanzo was watching being made the whole time, can't have that weird woman and people in cahoots with her poison them now can they?) and they nod a silent thanks. McCree takes his mug and clinks it gently against Hanzo's, prompting the other to raise it properly as well.

"Merry Christmas, Hanzo. Better being with someone tonight than alone."

"Merry Christmas… Jesse." Hanzo replies and he swears the cowboy brightens up hearing his first name being used.

Looking out the window and warming his hands on his drink, he notices the snow is finally falling outside again and soon the world would be pristine, white and silent in a perfect form of tranquility.

It was in moments like these he felt the hand he had been dealt in life wasn't so bad after all.

Fin~


End file.
